which he believed to be identical with his Somerset. At Gondokoro, Speke and Grant met the daring traveller, Mr (now Sir Samuel) Baker, coming to their relief. To him they related their discoveries, and also that they had learned from the natives the existence of another lake, named Luta Nzige, lying west of their route as they descended, and which they conceived to be a kind of back-water stretching westward from the Somerset at the part of its course they had been unable to visit. This lake, Baker, along with his heroic wife, explored in 1864, and named it the Albert Nyanza. He found it to be a vast inland sea, upwards of 300 miles long, and 90 broad, situated in a deep basin, and fringed with precipitous cliffs, rising in some peaks to 5009 and 10,000 feet. The Somerset enters the lake near its northern end; and at a point some fifty miles farther north, the Nile issues from it. Although the connection has not yet been traced, there is hardly a doubt remaining that Lake Tanganyika discharges its waters into the Albert Nyanza; and thus the Victoria Nyanza was deprived of the honour of being the source of the Nile, as Speke deemed it.

The solution of this great African problem-the true source of the Nile-was now undertaken by Dr Livingstone, who in 1866 began that great journey from which he has not yet returned. Ascending the Rovuma river, he intended to make for the north end of Lake Nyassa, and from that to the south end of Tanganyika. After a long period of silence, a report was brought to the east coast by some of his men who had deserted him, that he had been murdered, a report which happily proved to be false. By subsequent letters received from the traveller himself, we learn that he had gone round the south end of Nyassa, and then struck into the upper basin of the Loangwa, a tributary of the Zambesi, coming from the north. In a letter dated from Lake Bangweolo, 8th July 1868, and describing his previous proceedings, he says: Leaving the valley of the Loangwa, wẹ climbed up what seemed to be a great mountain mass, but it turned out to be only the southern edge of an elevated region, which is from 3000 to 6000 feet above the sea. This upland may be roughly stated to cover a space, south of Tanganyika, of some 350 miles square. It slopes to north and west, but I have found no part of it under 3000 feet of altitude. The country of Usango, situated east of the space indicated, is also an upland. Usango forms the eastern side of a great but still elevated valley. The other, or western side is formed by what are called the Kone mountains, beyond the copper mountains of Katanga.' The Chambeze flows from the eastern side into the centre of the great upland valley. It is known to form three lakes, changing its name at each outflow. I crossed the Chambeze in 10° 34′ S., and several of its confluents, north and south, quite as large as the Isis at Oxford, but running faster, and having hippopotami in them.' Proceeding northward, he discovered, on the northern slope of the upland, Lake Liemba, with precipitous sides

2000 feet down. It is extremely beautiful; sides, top, and bottom being covered with trees and other vegetation. Elephants, buffaloes, and antelopes feed on its steep slopes, whilst hippopotami, crocodiles, and fish swarm in the waters. It is as perfect a natural paradise,' writes Livingstone, 'as Xenophon could have desired. On two rocky islands, men till the land, rear goats, and catch fish. The villages ashore are embowered in the oil-palms of the west of Africa. Four considerable streams flow into Liemba, and a number of brooks. . . . The lake is from 18 to 20 miles broad, and from 35 to 40 miles long. It goes off to north-north-west, in a river-like prolongation, two miles wide-it is said to Tanganyika.'

From this, Livingstone visited Cazembe's Town and the lakes Bangweolo and Moero. Speaking of the river Luapula, he says: On leaving Moero at its northern end, by a rent in the mountains of Rua, the river takes the name of Lualaba, and passing on north-northwest, forms Ulenge in the country west of Tanganyika. I have only seen it where it leaves Moero, and where it comes out of the crack in the mountains of Rua.' The next letter from the traveller is from Ujiji, on the west side of Tanganyika, and is dated May 1869. The work he had then set himself was to make sure of the connection of Tanganyika with the Albert Nyanza—a point, however, on which there remains little doubt-and then to determine the course of the Chambeze (Luapula, Lualaba) after it leaves Lake Ulenge. If it is found to flow northward into the basin of the Tanganyika and Albert Nyanza, then the Chambeze is the Upper Nile, and the long-sought source is a little to the north of Lake Nyassa. But it is thought much more likely that the outflow of Lake Ulenge turns westward, and that the Chambeze and its three lakes are the source of the Congo. In this case, Lake Liemba is the most southern reservoir of the Nile; and, when its longest feeder has been traced to its head, the great African problem will be finally solved. By the last accounts of Dr Livingstone, received indirectly, he was still (October 1871) in the vicinity of Lake Tanganyika, waiting for supplies from the coast. There is a strong belief, arising from Dr Livingstone's long experience as a traveller, and his extraordinary ascendency over savage tribes, that he is yet alive; that he has been exploring the western drainage of the plateau, and may possibly next be heard of on the Lower Congo.

Perhaps the most formidable exploring expedition ever sent into any country is that organised in 1869 by the Pacha of Egypt, under the conduct of Sir Samuel Baker. It is accompanied by a considerable military force, so as to repel the opposition of hostile tribes, and is provided with prepared sections of iron steamers, to be set up on the Albert and other lakes. When last heard of, the expedition had not yet reached the Albert Nyanza; but if successful, it promises to have an important effect in opening up regular commercial communication with the great lake region, and perhaps in extending the

pacha's dominions. It may give some idea of the possible future importance of this region, when we state that the aggregate area of the lakes with which it is studded is estimated at 100,000 square miles.

Besides those whose tracks we have thus briefly followed, there are many other recent explorers well deserving of mention, did our space permit-Dr Vogel, a young and promising German savant, who was sent out by the British government to continue the researches of Barth, but who was murdered, February 1856, on his way from Bornu to the Nile valley, by the Sultan of Waday; Paul B. Du Chaillu, a French traveller, who (1855-65) thoroughly explored a large tract of the west coast lying on both sides of the equator, and extending 240 miles inland, adding largely to our knowledge of the geography, natural history (the gorilla, for instance), and social condition of the native tribes; Baron von der Decken, who, 1861, determined the height of the great volcanic mountain Kilima Njaro (20,000 feet), and who was murdered by the natives while exploring the river Juba in Somaliland.

CONCLUSION.

From the general survey which we have taken of Africa, and of the progress of African discovery, it appears that, while there is scarcely a point in its vast circuit where Europeans have not attempted to settle, scarcely any of the settlements have flourished. For the purposes of trade, such establishments will no doubt be maintained at a vast sacrifice of life-the consequence of the pestilential effects of the climate on European constitutions; but it is not likely that any settlements of a permanent description will be effected except at the southern and northern extremities of the continent. Cape Colony, as yet, is the most prosperous, indeed the only settlement worthy of the name in Africa: whether the French will be able to make anything of Algeria, remains yet to be seen. As for the centre of the continent, it seems quite hopeless to suppose that Europeans can ever operate there directly. The utmost that can be anticipated is, that they shall be able to act upon the continent through native agents. By establishing a commerce with Central Africa, they may stimulate whatever tendencies to civilisation exist among the negro races; they may create an activity through the continent resembling that caused by the slave traffic, but every way nobler and more beneficial.

32

EWTON-ALNWAY is a village in Devonshire, close on the coast, and wholly inhabited by fishermen and such like-that is, men who get their living from the sea. Standing on a slight eminence above the water's edge, it is again backed by green hills, while below are cliffs and the sandy shore. On these were drawn up one spring morning the half-dozen boats of the village, the crews being engaged in the repairs necessitated by a severe gale which they had recently experienced. Above, in the hamlet, the women were mending nets, all save one couple, Dame Lester and her daughter Sophy, who lived in

a small hut on the edge of the village. Widow-at all events supposed to be-for her husband had departed sixteen years back on a long voyage, and never returned, the poor woman had no other means of educating and bringing up her child than £10 a year, which had been granted by the owners of the ship of which he had been captain, when, after a long delay, the insurance had been paid. With this she had retired to this Newton, hired a small cottage for £2 a year, and at once commenced working for her living. She took in sewing, shirts, and other articles, which the laborious fisherwomen could not find time from their regular avocations to make; and shortly after opened a school, where she educated the children of the hamlet in company with her own child.

Sophy Lester was, however, much in advance of the rest of her little companions, who, destined to be fishermen and wives of fishermen, had no pretensions to aim at any very elaborate education. She, in fact, from the very first, materially assisted her mother, and at sixteen took the whole of this part of the duty off her hands. ́ She was a mild, gentle girl, thoughtful and high principled. Her mother's example struck her much, for she could well remember the day when they had a nice house and a servant in Plymouth town. Mrs Lester had brought away from her better days a good many books, which Sophy eagerly devoured. The consequence was, that at eighteen her thoughtful tone had become rather melancholy, and she began to aim at something above the station she was placed in. Any idea of marrying a rude fisherman was to her out of the question, so that the future was not very brilliant.

On the morning in question, it was calm and tranquil all around. Nature appeared reposing. The sea was blue and placid, and everything seemed to serve the workers below. Mrs Lester and Sophy were standing in front of their cot, looking on, it not being yet time for the urchins and lasses of the village to come up to class. The house had really but one story; but a kind of high loft formed a very good bedroom, from which there was a magnificent view of the sea. It was not used by the family, but had once been let to a young coast-guard whose duty called him to the neighbourhood. Below, there were two rooms. One, a large one, served for schoolroom, workroom, and kitchen; while that behind was the bedroom of mother and daughter. A small garden was situated on one side of the house; while in front was a wooden bench, on which Mrs Lester and Sophy would often sit in sunny weather to work. front of this passed a footpath, the only road by which NewtonAlnway was reached from above, there being no carriage-road. It lay in a hollow, in fact, with hills around it too steep for vehicles.

In

'Do you see yon Indiaman, mother?' said Sophy, suddenly arousing herself from a reverie. 'How tranquilly it rides along in

the soft breeze !'

'Yes, my love,' replied Dame Lester with a deep sigh, 'it moves